put on your war paint
by queen caffeine
Summary: "Load your guns and lace up your boots, girls. We're going in." Dusty deserts, winding highways, and lots and lots of ammo. Six teens tangled up in conspiracy theories, top secret experiments, and a plague that just might herald the zombie apocalypse. Who said the end of the world was caused by global warming? –ppg/rrb original pairings
1. not so normal

**disclaimer: look at all these beautiful ships...that i unfortunately do not own ;A;  
notes: RAINY DAYS + LONG SHOWERS = MORE AU IDEAS HELL YEAH  
notes2: it's been super dismal and dark and stormy outside (my kind of weather yes) and i was making tea when this idea hit me in the face. and then in the shower a plot began to form and i literally stayed up until 2:30 AM working on this. and i have school today. rip me.  
playlist: 'Zombie' by Miser**

.

[prologue]

.

.

 _run, run, as fast as you can_

 _they're coming for you, darling_

 _they'll strike you down where you stand_

.

.

x

Appearance-wise, they were as normal as any family could be. They lived in a normal house, drove a normal car, did normal family things.

But away from the outside world? Away from the public eye?

They were anything but.

x

They lived in Townsville, Nevada, a few hundred miles from the border between California and their home state. Townsville wasn't exactly the biggest city, but it was enough. The main reason the city was built was because of Route 32. Similar to Route 66, Route 32 is a long, snakelike road winding all throughout the Midwest desert and passing right by the infamous Area 51.

In fact, Townsville isn't that far from Area 51. You could say the city lays right in the middle of Area 51 and the California state border. Route 32 passes right through it.

Area 51 is where Professor John Utonium works. Father of three little girls, he's a quiet man who doesn't leave his house much and doesn't smile often. He works long hours on top secret projects, and spends most of his time either in his basement laboratory or with his daughters.

When his three little daughters finally turn five, he starts their training.

He shows them different skills, teaches them martial arts, and focuses on specific skill sets for each one.

His oldest, Blossom, is to be the commander and leader. He drills her in strategy and resourcefulness; trains her mind to be the quickest at unraveling mysteries, puzzles, and potential danger situations.

The middle triplet, Buttercup, loves to fight. She would be the brute strength of the three. Her determination and willpower are unparalleled and she's as stubborn as they come. She took to martial arts quickly and Professor Utonium trains her to become strong and make anything into a weapon.

The youngest of the three, Bubbles, is quicker and smaller than her sisters. She'd be the speed and stealth of the team. He trains her to become faster, quieter, and a master at hiding. Though she's the more joyful one of her sisters, she also knows when to be silent and especially deadly.

The three don't have time to make many friends in their town, focusing on their training and survival skills instead. They don't do things like play outside or ride bikes; instead they learn skills like how to throw knives and take down opponents twice as big as they are.

Until one day, Professor Utonium brings his partner at work home with him.

x

Mojo Johnson is a short, stout little man with an appearance that's vaguely ape-like. He greets the three seven-year-old little girls politely and warmly, and then gestures behind him to where three little boys stand.

"These are my sons," He explains. "Brick, Butch, and Boomer."

The Professor bends down to look at his girls. "They take special training just like you do." He tells them. "Their dad and I work on the same projects. Why don't you three show them the training room?"

Blossom nods and steps forward, taking Brick by the hand. The redheaded boy is so shocked he doesn't protest, and she gently tugs him through the living room and to the stairs leading to the basement. The other four trail behind them.

"We've got a bunch of cool stuff down here!" Buttercup boasts proudly as the six make their way down the stairs.

"I bet I can beat you in a wrestling match!" Butch exclaims, pointing at Buttercup. She narrows bright, lime green eyes at him.

"You're on," She growls. They stop at the metal door and Buttercup immediately gets on her hands and knees underneath the touchpad. Blossom clambers onto her back, arms pinwheeling for a moment before Bubbles skips over and holds onto her legs, steadying her.

"Hurry up, Blossy, you're heavy!" Buttercup groans. Blossom scoffs.

"Am not!" She argues. She reaches up to the touchpad and punches in the passcode with a small finger, muttering as she does so. "Three, nine, two, four." The light blinks green and the door clicks. Bubbles lets go of Blossom's legs and yanks open the door while Blossom jumps off her sister's back and Buttercup stands up.

"You're training room is like ours!" Boomer exclaims when they reach the room. "Cool!"

Suddenly, out of the blue, Butch tackles Buttercup to the padded floor. The small girl lets out a screech as the two tumble, but quickly retaliates. Soon the two are locked in their fight, tussling around the room.

"Do you guys train all the time too?" Blossom asks Brick. He nods, pulling his cap further down over his short hair.

"Do you have a lot of friends?" Bubbles questions curiously. Boomer looks a little sad and shakes his head.

"No," He sighs. "We're always training, and Dad says we can't tell nobody…well, except for you guys." At this, he looks confused. "Hey Brick, why can we tell them about our training but nobody else?"

"'Cuz they train like we do." Brick supplies, crossing his arms.

"Well, hey!" Bubbles says after a moment of clearly hard thinking. "This means we can all be friends!" Boomer brightens and nods.

"Yeah, since we all know about each other's training!" Butch and Buttercup freeze their wrestling, and Buttercup immediately pushes away from Butch and stands up. Her hair is all over the place and her dress is now wrinkled and slightly askew.

"I don't wanna be friends with him!" She stomps her foot and crosses her arms, scowling. Butch grins at her.

"You're just mad 'cuz I beat ya," He says smugly.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

Are too!"

"AM NOT!"

"ARE TOO!"

Buttercup lets out a cry of frustration and leaps at Butch, pulling him into another wrestling match. The other four look at each other and shrug (well, except for Brick, who just rolls his eyes).

"So...friends?" Blossom holds out a hand to Brick, her expression hopeful. He eyes her warily, but after a moment he takes her hand and shakes it.

"Friends."

.

.

 **i'm gonna have so much fun with this. ya'll have probably read my halloween collab with chokecherries...let's just say all that mind-fuckery and those horrific plot twists?**

 **THAT WAS ME. (shoutout to chokecherries bc i think i scarred her while we did that collab im sorry babe ily)**

 ***rubs hand together* ohohO this story is gonna be so FUN. }:D** **i'm so excited for this, i'm gonna screw with evERYONE'S HEADS YEAH MAN. i live for stuff like this. (but also fluff bc i need my happy endings too)**

 **okay can i just say that young ppg/rrb is so cUTE I WANT TO SQUISH ALL OF THEM. they are my bb's. i love them.**

 **ALRIGHT. that's it for this story, FOR NOW. (this prologue is so stinkin' short its like the shortest thing i've ever posted whOA.) don't worry, the next chapter is when shit gets real. 0 to 100, REAL QUICK.**

 ***cue dramatic evil laughter***

 **peace out girl scouts,**

 **two red converse**


	2. lights out

**notes: today was not a good day but i figured i should post this thing bc i finished it a little while ago.  
** **notes2: despite my current emotions i am superduper excited for this story ! :D  
** **playlist: 'Radioactive' by Imagine Dragons**

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[chapter one]

.

.

 _you think your life is bad_

 _honey, you ain't seen nothing yet_

.

.

x

[Eleven Years Later – Present Day]

The Nevada sun hangs low in the sky, not setting just yet but getting pretty close. The sky is tinted orange and even though it's pushing 6 pm, it's still around 85 degrees outside.

The Utonium house still looks exactly the same as it did eleven years ago, except now the wooden porch is faded and the paint on the mailbox is cracked and flaking off.

The Professor's old station wagon is missing from the driveway – he's off at work, another late night working on some secret project.

A blonde, blue-eyed girl no older than seventeen stands on the front porch, eyes taking in the sight of Townsville before her. Their house is on the outskirts of the town, in the east, towards Area 51. The town looks empty, as it's usually so hot by this time of day that everyone's inside. Her eyes flick towards the west part of town, where her boyfriend and his two brothers live. She knows their own father is gone at work tonight too, because their fathers are partners and have been for eleven years.

Not much has changed.

Their training has picked up a lot in the past few years, and if she does say so herself, Bubbles thinks they're pretty well-equipped.

But for what, she still doesn't know.

Neither the Professor nor Mojo will tell any of them anything, only that the training is vitally important. They've pretty much given up over the years of trying and trying and still getting no response, but Bubbles can tell.

Something's coming. Something big.

She just hopes they'll be ready enough for it.

x

She's sitting on the couch with Buttercup when her suspicions are confirmed.

The back door is open so what little breeze there is can come in through the screen door. Her and her sister are watching TV, Buttercup controlling the remote and channel surfing. Their other sister, Blossom, is upstairs showering.

Suddenly, the landline rings. Bubbles and Buttercup turn to each other, both pairs of eyes narrowed in a staring contest. For a solid minute, neither one of them moves, and the phone continues to ring.

Finally, when she can bear it no longer, Bubbles blinks.

"HA!" Buttercup exclaims, pointing the remote at her and grinning triumphantly. Bubbles groans and sticks her tongue out at the green-eyed girl. She reluctantly gets up from her spot on the couch and walks into the kitchen where the receiver is planted on the wall. She picks up the cordless phone and brings it to her ear, walking back into the living room as she does.

"Hello?" She says. There's the faint sound of static and then her father's voice comes through.

" _Bubbles?"_ He questions. The blonde's eyes widen. The Professor _never_ calls the house from work. Something about cell phones not being allowed in the facility.

"Dad?" Bubbles grips the phone. "Dad, are you okay?" At this, Buttercup turns around on the couch to look at her, eyebrows furrowed. She turns down the TV volume and stands, coming over to stand next to the youngest Utonium. Bubbles puts the phone on speaker.

" _Bubbles, are you inside? Are your sisters inside?"_ The Professor asks. He sounds out of breath, and the line is a little staticky.

"Yes?" Bubbles answers, growing even more confused. "Buttercup's right here next to me. Blossom's in the shower." Her stomach twists and she glances at Buttercup nervously. "Dad, what's wrong?"

" _Bubbles, Buttercup, listen to me."_ Professor Utonium says hurriedly. _"Mojo and I are in trouble. I can't say much over the phone; anyone could be listening in."_ The line goes static for a second. _"Girls, do you remember that road trip I took you on a few years ago? When we went to visit your Uncle Mac?"_ Buttercup and Bubbles share another glance. Their 'Uncle Mac' lived and worked in an ancient gas station smack dab in the middle of nowhere, near Area 51. He was nice enough, but they knew he wasn't actually their uncle.

"Yeah Dad." Buttercup tells him. "We remember."

" _Good,"_ The Professor huffs. _"If you don't hear from me by tomorrow morning, go see Uncle Mac. If anything happens, go downstairs and get all of your things together, just like we've practiced. Call the boys and team up; you all need to stick together and watch out for each other. Remember the code word. And whatever you do, follow your instincts – nine times out of ten they're right."_

"Dad, what are you talking about?" Bubbles asks, voice wavering.

" _I love you three, okay? Don't forget that. Stay together and watch each other's backs. You've been trained for this; you can survive. Oh, and one more thing…"_ His voice crackles for a moment before becoming clear again.

" _Trust no one."_

"Dad wait–" Buttercup tries, but the line turns to static and the other end is silent.

"Buttercup…" Bubbles' lip quivers and she looks at her sister fearfully. Buttercup stares at the phone in shock, and slowly takes it from Bubbles' hand, clicking it off and setting it on the end table. Just as she starts to turn around and try to comfort her younger sister, the lights go out.

No warning, no flickering, just _blink._

Darkness.

Bubbles shrieks and Buttercup whips around and grabs her sister's hand tightly.

"I'm here, I'm here." She tells her, unfazed by Bubbles' death grip. Luckily, the setting sun provides some light through the windows, but something feels…off.

Buttercup moves to the front door, Bubbles behind her. She presses an eye against the peephole and, seeing nothing, eases the solid piece of wood open. She peers out to examine the rest of the street. All of the houses are dark, and none of the lights in the city are on. It's like Townsville was just…shut down.

"I don't think this is a blown fuse," Buttercup mutters. She closes the door and locks it. There's the sound of the shower squeaking off and a few footsteps from upstairs.

"Blossom!" Bubbles gasps. Buttercup curses and the two run to the stairs, taking them two at a time.

"Blossom, are you okay?" Buttercup hollers as they make their way down the hall. She knocks twice before bursting into Blossom's darkened room, Bubbles still holding onto her. Blossom emerges from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her and her long auburn hair dripping wet.

The oldest Utonium sister rushes at the two. She puts her cold hands on Buttercup's cheeks first, looking her over with worried rose pink eyes. Next she moves to Bubbles, examining her as well. "Are you girls alright?" Blossom frets. "I heard the phone ringing and the next thing I know, all of the lights go out. What happened?"

"We don't know," Bubbles says, voice panicky. "Dad called and he was acting weird and saying all this stuff–"

"Wait a minute." Blossom stops her. "You said Dad _called?_ From _work?"_ Buttercup and Bubbles nod.

"Yes, and he was talking about being in trouble and that if we don't hear from him to go see Uncle Mac but Blossom he wouldn't say what's going on or why he was out of breath or if was okay–"

"Whoa, whoa, Bubbles, slow down." Blossom placates her, preventing Bubbles from having a panic attack. "It's okay. We'll figure this out, alright? But before we do anything else, Buttercup–" Pink eyes meet green. "–call Butch. Get the boys over here as soon as possible; tell them to load up all essentials and their gear into the van and lock up their house before coming over here. I want all of us in the lab by 6:30." Buttercup nods resolutely and whips out her cell phone. She leaves the room after hugging Bubbles and nodding to Blossom. Bubbles wraps her arms around herself.

"Hey," Blossom says gently. "Want to help me with my hair?" Bubbles nods, grateful for the distraction. Blossom dresses in her bathroom quickly, coming out in a pair of Nike leggings and an oversized tee. She takes a seat on her bed and Bubbles runs a brush through her wet hair. After detangling it she puts in two French braids.

"We'll get through this, okay?" Blossom turns around and takes Bubbles' hands in her own. "I promise." Bubbles nods and they rise from the bed, heading downstairs to regroup in the living room.

x

Buttercup scrolls through her contacts and taps the one labeled 'Bane of My Existence'. She paces the living room as the phone rings.

"C'mon, dumbass, pick up." She mutters under her breath.

" _Yo Sunshine,"_ Butch's voice comes in through the receiver. _"You guys have any power?"_

"No." Buttercup exhales and runs a hand through her short choppy hair. "Hey, are your brothers with you?"

" _Yeah, why?"_

"Put your phone on speaker." She orders.

" _Bossy, bossy. Alright, we're all here."_ He tells her.

"Listen up." She begins. "The whole city's lights are down, but it's not some blown fuse at the power plant. Shit's about to go down, and we need to be ready. We got a call from our dad, and he gave us a fucking creepy message."

" _We didn't hear anything from Mojo."_ Brick's voice comes through the other end. _"What did your dad say?"_

"I can't give you all the details over the phone; Dad warned us about open lines being unreliable. Bottom line is, you three need to high-tail it over here. Load up all of your gear and essentials, like all the drills we've done. Lock up your house behind you, put everything into the van, and fucking haul ass to get over here. Blossom wants us all in the basement at 6:30."

" _Shit, this is real, isn't it?"_ Butch asks. Buttercup exhales loudly.

"Yeah. Yeah, it is." Her voice is grim and the line is silent for a few seconds.

" _We'll be there in twenty."_ Brick says, and then they hang up. Buttercup locks her phone and looks up as her sisters make their way downstairs. She puts her arm around Bubbles' shoulders and looks at her leader.

"They'll be over in twenty." She relays to her. Blossom nods.

"Let's grab something to eat. We've got a lot of perishables that need to go." Blossom says. "Whatever we don't eat we'll put in the lab." Her sisters nod and the three trek into the kitchen, the light from the setting sun now beginning to fade. Blossom pulls out two heavy duty camping lanterns and places one on the kitchen table and one in the living room.

"Have you locked the windows and doors yet?" She asks Buttercup.

"Not yet," The other girl replies.

"Let's do that now." Bubbles stays in the kitchen to get some food ready while Blossom and Buttercup go around the house, locking all the windows and closing the curtains. Buttercup locks the screen door and shuts the back door firmly, locking that one as well.

Now the entire house is dark, and Buttercup's glances around cautiously.

"I'm grabbing some weapons." She grunts before disappearing upstairs. A minute later she returns with a baseball bat and a belt of throwing knives.

She gives the belt to Bubbles, who straps it on immediately. Blossom takes a large kitchen knife as her weapon, and Buttercup takes a seat at the table, bat resting against her thigh. Blossom sets out the plates and Bubbles places the food down. Luckily, they have a gas stove so she's able to reheat last night's ziti and the three pile their plates and begin to eat.

They finish quickly and are washing the dishes when they hear the sound of gravel crunching under tires. However, they don't know who it is, so all go on high alert.

Buttercup slinks out of the kitchen first and hoists the bat onto her shoulder. She goes to stand behind the front door and Bubbles steps out next. She moves silently, avoiding all the creaking spots on the carpet and slipping two throwing knives out of the belt; she stops by one of the windows, standing in the curtain's shadow. Blossom grips her kitchen knife and grabs a rolling pin for extra precaution, crouching behind the sofa.

Four knocks sound on the door. A second of tense silence, and then Buttercup looks through the peephole.

"It's them," She says, straightening. She undoes the deadbolt and two additional locks on the door, swinging it open to reveal the Jojo brothers.

x

"What's with the bat, Sunshine?" Butch raises an eyebrow, silver piercing glinting. "You gonna swing at us?"

Buttercup cocks her hip to the side and she sneers up at him. "I just might." She retorts. Blossom stands from behind the couch.

"Good," She says, coming around to stand by Buttercup, Bubbles emerging as well. "You're here."

"Nice choice of weapons there, red." Brick eyes her kitchen utensils, but she doesn't take the bait. They've got more serious matters to discuss.

"You brought everything?" She glances behind them to see the boys' large black Ford off road camper van. The windows are tinted black and the car is built sturdily with satellite GPS and radio settings.

Brick nods. "We're all set. You girls alright?" Blossom gestures them inside.

"For the most part," She responds. "Buttercup, open the garage so they can move the van in there." Buttercup nods and disappears off to the garage. Brick tosses the car keys to Butch, who follows Buttercup. "Come on, let's go down to the lab. We've got a lot to talk about." Blossom leads the way to the stairs going down into the Utonium's lab.

Boomer tucks his jittery girlfriend under his arm and murmurs sweet nothings to her. The four teens reach the downstairs lab and Blossom punches in the passcode. The light blinks green and the door unlocks. Brick opens the door and Boomer and Bubbles walk in first. Butch and Buttercup come jogging down the stairs and slip inside before Blossom does. Brick shuts the door behind them and it locks automatically.

Blossom takes a seat in a stray rolling chair, and the other find seats around the main part of the lab. Bubbles sits on the examining table and Boomer stands next to her, massaging her hands comfortingly. Buttercup leans against the counter where countless beakers and measuring cups rest. Butch turns a chair around and sits on it backwards, leaning his forearms on the back of the chair. Brick is leaning against the desk behind Blossom, arms crossed and face set in his usual glower.

"Bubbles, Buttercup." Blossom addresses her sisters. "What did Dad say over the phone? Tell us everything."

Buttercup glances at Bubbles, who's silent, so she takes the initiative. "Bubbles put the phone on speaker when she heard that it was Dad. He told us that he and Mojo are in trouble." At this, the boys' attention is fully caught. "He said that he couldn't say much over the phone, but he told us that if we didn't hear from him by tomorrow morning, to go find Uncle Mac at that old gas station he took us to a few years ago – do you remember it?"

Blossom nods. "I remember. What else did he say?" Bubbles unexpectedly picks up, her voice quiet but firm.

"He said that if anything happens, we need to get everything together just like we've practiced and team up with the boys. We're supposed to stick together and watch out for each other. He also said to remember the code word and listen to our instincts. We've been trained for this and we can survive."

Blossom taps her chin in thought. "Anything else?" She prompts.

Bubbles looks up, meeting Blossom's gaze. "He warned us to trust no one." Bubbles drops her gaze and Boomer wraps his arm around her, pulling her close.

"I'm guessing the whole city going dark isn't a coincidence either." Brick says. Blossom slowly shakes her head.

"No, I'm betting it isn't. But we need to be ready for whatever comes next." Her eyebrows furrow in thought.

"So…what's the plan Rapunzel?" Butch questions. Blossom doesn't respond immediately.

"We'll stay here for the night." She decides finally. "Gather supplies; maybe make a run into town if need be. We'll need to keep watch too; set up a patrol. If we don't hear from Dad by noon tomorrow, we'll take the boys' car and drive to Uncle Mac's gas station." The others murmur their agreement. "For now, we need to get all of our supplies ready and prepare, just as we've been drilled."

"Butch, Buttercup, take stock of ammunition and weapons." Brick orders, straightening from his position. "Bubbles and Boomer, check our food stores. We've got enough to last about a month, but we'll need more just in case. Blossom, we should make that run into town now before it gets too dark." Blossom nods her consent.

"We'll need gas and matches," Blossom speculates. "And we should pick up candles, and oil, too."

"Let's go," Brick replies. Blossom hugs her sisters and the two redheads exit the lab and head back upstairs to the garage. Brick gets in the driver's seat and Blossom climbs in shotgun, pressing the garage opener so they can get out. Brick pulls out and she closes the garage again, and Brick drives the two of them into town.

x

Townsville isn't a large city, but it has enough citizens to be fairly busy at most times of the day, save for the ungodly hours of the morning. Once nine o'clock rolls around everyone is inside with their families, escaping the arid heat outside.

But now, it's barely seven o'clock at night and Townsville looks deserted. Everything is dark; no windows are lit whatsoever. The street lights are dead and not one store is open.

"Where is everyone?" Blossom whispers. Even though they're inside the car, it feels wrong to speak at normal volume.

"Probably inside…" Brick muses.

"This means we're probably going to have to break in to get supplies." Blossom says quietly. Brick glances at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Is that gonna be an issue, red?" He challenges, smirking at her. She shoots him a mild glare.

" _No,"_ She whispers back fiercely. "I just don't like this." Brick says nothing, but his expression turns grim in soundless agreement.

He pulls into the empty parking lot of the city's Wal-Mart superstore. He pops open the door and climbs out as Blossom does the same. Brick locks the car and he and Blossom walk to the front of the store. Blossom glances around nervously, and a small breeze blows a flyer across the rows of empty parking spaces.

Everything feels wrong. Townsville is a town in the middle of barren desert, but it's cheerful and the people are friendly. Now, the whole place is like a ghost town, not a living soul in sight. The atmosphere is eerie and unsettling, and Blossom's mind races.

 _How does it all connect? The lights shutting down, the town being empty, Dad's cryptic message? What's really going on here?_

Blossom shifts a little closer to Brick as the two cautiously walk through the sliding doors and into the dark store. Their eyes have adjusted to the lack of light quickly, but it doesn't make the store any less intimidating.

"Let's get what we need and get out of here." Brick says lowly. Blossom nods and they walk deeper into the store, to where the camping supplies are. Blossom starts grabbing candles and looks for matches.

"I'll go get gas." Brick states before disappearing off. Blossom continues searching for matches and grabs lantern oil too. Once she's finished she heads to the front of the store. She puts all of the supplies in two plastic bags and grabs a stray piece of paper and a pen from behind a cash register. She writes down what they've taken and pulls out two twenties and puts the paper and cash next to the register.

Something clatters loudly in the back of the store, and Blossom jumps. Wide pink eyes check her surroundings and she grabs the plastic bags and ties them closed together as quietly as she can. She moves on silent feet as she sneaks into one of the clothing sections, pulling a small army knife from the inside of her boot. She flicks the knife open and ducks behind a shelving unit of clothes.

 _Are those footsteps?_

Blossom holds her breath as the footsteps approach, and they stop in front of the shelves she's behind. Tightening her grip on the knife, Blossom tenses, ready to fight.

A hand touches her shoulder from behind and she spins around, throwing out her elbow and ready to clock her assaulter with her shopping bags.

Said assaulter ducks and grabs her wrists, stopping her hands and preventing her from stabbing him.

"Little tense there, red?" Brick raises an eyebrow at her and she relaxes.

"Brick, what in the world?" She says incredulously. "I could've stabbed you!"

"But you didn't," Brick points out. She rolls her eyes. "Now c'mon, I got the gas, now we need to get the hell out of here. Some idiot tried to take me by surprise when my back was turned."

"Was that the crash I heard?" Blossom questions. Brick nods.

"Yeah," He takes the shopping bags from her. "I didn't see any more, but that doesn't mean shit. Let's get out of this damn store."

x

"What took you guys so long?" Buttercup demands when the two leaders finally make it back inside the lab. Brick sets the gas containers and shopping bags on the examining table. Bubbles rushes over and hugs her oldest sister tightly.

"Are you okay? I tried texting you, but none of our phones work!" Blossom pats Bubbles' back.

"Yeah, we're fine. For the most part."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Butch crosses his arms.

"Some fucker tried to take me out in the store." Brick relays, rubbing his jaw. "Got me in the jaw before I knocked him out."

"And," Blossom adds, looking at Bubbles. "None of our cells work. No power means no cell tower. We have no reception."

"So…" Buttercup starts. "We're basically stranded. No power, no communications, no explanation behind all of this crap."

It's silent for a moment, and then Blossom nods.

"That's the gist of it." Blossom sighs.

"Well," Boomer attempts at optimism. "At least it can't get much worse, right?"

And just then, the earthquake hits.

x

.

.

 **wAY TO GO BOOMER. JUST JINX EVERYONE, WHY DON'T YOU?**

 **no im kidding don't hate boomer he is my precious cinnamon roll son i love him...** **he just has horrible timing. like, TERRIBLE timing. you'll see.**

 **eheh** **ehe the next chapter is when it all goes to shit. }:D**

 **STAY TUNED FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGE, PEOPLE. NEXT CHAPTER IS WHEN IT GOES FROM 0 TO 100 _REAL QUICK._**

 **im so excited omfg**

 **peace out girl scouts,**

 **two red converse**


	3. suit up

**notes: im supposed to be doing an online class but instead i am procrastinating by updating tHIS THING  
notes2: when was the last time i updated this? im such a bad author omfg im sorry  
playlist: 'Just One Yesterday' by Fall Out Boy**

.

[chapter two]

.

.

 _you jinxed yourself_

 _good luck in hell_

 _prepare yourself_

 _hell's bells are ringing_

.

.

x

" _TAKE COVER!"_ Brick shouts, grabbing Blossom and pulling her under the desk and against his chest. Boomer pulls Bubbles away from the examining table and they dive under the nearby counter, Boomer holding Bubbles tightly. Buttercup and Butch leap away from the glass containers they're standing by and take cover under the only other space, the examining table. Butch presses his palms against the bottom of the table to steady them, and Buttercup fists her hands in his shirt, lime green eyes wide. He ducks his head down closer to hers and they lock eyes. Hers are surprisingly full of worry; when Butch locks eyes with her and sees her distress, his gaze hardens and becomes determined.

The entire lab shakes violently, and all of the beakers and glasses that were on the counter fall off and shatter against the floor. One lands in front of Bubbles and she lets out a shriek, hiding her face in Boomer's shoulder. The entire lab rattles and the sound of crashing fills the air. For a solid five minutes, the six teenagers know nothing but the uncontrollable shuddering of the lab around them. If it wasn't for their intense training, none of them would be able to keep their balance and they would've all gotten cut badly from the glass. The gas containers thump on the examining table and fall to the floor with several loud thuds; luckily, they're made of plastic and tightly closed, so nothing spills.

"Hold on!" Butch grunts to Buttercup. She doesn't respond, simply gripping him tighter as he curves his body around her. Blossom squeezes her eyes shut and tucks her face into Brick's neck, and his arms tense around her. Bubbles is practically in Boomer's lap and Boomer holds his girlfriend as close as possible. Neither of the blondes says anything.

The convulsions eventually slow and become less severe, after all that could fall and break had done so already. When the last tremors disappear, no one moves for thirty seconds, still tense in expectation of another earthquake. Blossom is the first to speak.

"I think…I think it's over." She says quietly, slowly removing herself from Brick's grasp. He doesn't let her get far, instead carefully crawling out from under the desk and pulling her up with him. The other four follow their leaders' example, rising from underneath their hiding spots. Boomer wraps his arms around his girlfriend, who's still faintly shaking. Buttercup says nothing, but her eyes dart around suspiciously and she fists her hand in Butch's shirt. He doesn't say anything, but he's again reminded of how small she actually is. (No matter how strong or aggressive she can be, she's still short and occasionally delicate-looking.)

"What…was that?" Bubbles dares to ask. "We've…we've never had _anything_ like that here, even with the San Andreas Fault so close!"

"I don't know," Blossom answers. "But whatever it was, it wasn't good."

"We should go check topside." Boomer puts in. "Who knows what kind of wreckage happened; people could be hurt."

"This doesn't add up." Brick suddenly says, interrupting any response to Boomer. He scowls at the glass and liquid covered floor. "First, our dads disappear. Then, we get a strange phone call from Professor Utonium. After that, the fucking lights go out _in the entire city._ And now, a huge earthquake? What the hell is going on?"

"That's exactly what we're going to figure out." Blossom responds. She looks around, addressing all of them. "We need to be prepared for anything. And when I say anything, I mean _anything._ We have orders from Dad to stay put until tomorrow, or at least until otherwise notified." Before anyone can protest, she holds up a hand. " _However,_ Boomer has a point. There could be injured people up there who need help. With our training, we can help them since the power is down and no one can call the authorities." Her sisters and the boys nod. "But like I said, we need to be ready for anything. No one goes _anywhere_ alone. Standard partners. We'll each take a walkie-talkie to stay connected, but under _no circumstances whatsoever,_ are any of us to leave Townsville. Do _not_ go outside of the city borders. I don't care what you see. We stay in the city, we stay together." She takes a deep breath. "Okay?"

"Okay," the others nod and agree.

"We'll take the van into the city, and park in front of City Hall." Brick decides. "We'll split up from there and meet back at City Hall. You have a time in mind, red?" He turns to look down at Blossom. She glances at the cracked face of the clock that is on the floor among the rest of the broken glass. The time reads 8:00.

"We don't know what we're gonna find when we go up there." Blossom speculates. "For now, we'll say meet up in front of City Hall at midnight, but check in with the walkie-talkies once an hour."

"What's our objective?" Buttercup pipes up.

"We're going out to scope the city and help injured civilians." Blossom declares, fixing her gaze on her sister. Buttercup nods. "Hopefully, we'll get a lead as to what's going on. Bring all your weapons; we have no idea what could be waiting for us."

"Who's going where?" Butch asks, changing the subject.

"You and Buttercup are going to the east side of the city," Brick orders. "Blossom and I will take the west. Boomer, Bubbles, stay in the suburbs to help families and keep an eye on the city border."

Butch and Boomer nod. "Alright everyone," Blossom says. "Time to suit up."

x

The training room has been modified since the girls were younger, so it's in a totally separate room now, behind another locked metal door. Avoiding all of the broken glass as best as they can, the six pick their way around the lab (Brick picks up the gas containers and puts them on the examining table again) and to the locked door. Blossom punches in the passcode and the door unlocks. She swings it open and the six enter the room.

The training room is a long, rectangular room with cement flooring and walls. When a person first enters, the room contains gym equipment like a treadmill, bench press, pull up bars, weights, and stationary bike, among others. Beyond the 'gym' area, in the middle of the room, the floor is padded and mirrors line the walls on both sides. On the left side, there's a small boxing ring with punching bags hanging from the ceiling nearby, and the other side of the room is an open area to spar.

Behind the padded area, where the mirrors end, the walls are covered with racks of training equipment and weapons. There are three doors on the back wall, one leading to a locker room with showers and bathrooms, the second leading to another weapons and supply room, and the third leading to the tech room.

Since the boys train and do drills regularly with the girls, they have their own section in the supply room filled with their suits and weapons. Familiar with the surroundings, they each go in and grab their suits, walking into the bathroom to change first.

"You want us to fully suit up, right?" Buttercup asks, looking to her older sister. "Y'know, all weapons?" Blossom nods.

"Yes. We don't have any idea what to expect." Buttercup nods and disappears to gather her own things, as does Bubbles. Blossom stands in front of the weapons rack section of the wall, arms crossed and gaze contemplative. After a few moments Blossom turns around and goes into the tech room, leaving the door cracked.

The tech room is a large square room with backup generators lining the back left corner. Blossom walks silently across the dark room and flips the red power switch, turning on the generators. The rest of the lab has its own automatic backup generators, but these are manual so as to not be activated when unnecessary.

The generators light up and begin to hum quietly, and the lights in the room flicker on. The huge computer monitor mounted into the wall turns blue and the expansive console beneath it lights up as well. The smaller monitors on the opposite wall turn on, also activating the night vision cameras hidden around and throughout Townsville. Along the right wall is a long table full of sorted electronic equipment such as ear pieces, walkie-talkies, night vision goggles, spy cameras, satellite phones, and portable GPS's.

Blossom takes a seat in front of the main monitor and taps a finger against the touchpad lightly. The screen comes to life, showing a blinking cursor underneath a bold 'PASSWORD'.

Slowly, Blossom presses her fingers against the touch-keyboard, entering the password and logging in successfully.

Outside, her sisters drift between the supply room and the weapons rack, grabbing supplies and weapons to put on after they get dressed. They don't bother her, knowing when to leave her alone to her thoughts.

 _Having fathers that work on top secret experiments is a definitely a positive sometimes,_ Blossom thinks. _The specialized suits and weapons they designed for each of us enhance our skills… they never told us why the suits would be needed, but now that all of this is happening, I can see the premeditation that went into all of it. The training, the drills, the countless exercises and tests, all of it was for a reason._

She exhales deeply. _We don't know what that reason is yet, but at least we'll be prepared._

Her musings are halted when she hears the locker room door open. Blossom stands from her seat and exits the tech room, seeing her and her sisters' counterparts step out.

Their suits are similar in basic designs, but each has certain additions that pertain to each boy's talents. Each suit is black and long sleeved with high necklines, made out of a material that's almost as thick as leather but still flexible and versatile like spandex. The material is thickest (similar to armor) over the chest, back, arms and shoulders, outside of the thighs, and over the knees and shins. Outlining the thicker areas is fabric in each boy's respective color: crimson red for Brick, forest green for Butch, and cobalt blue for Boomer.

All of the brothers wear black, steel-toed combat boots on their feet, and fingerless leather gloves on their hands. Butch's gloves have metal studs on the knuckles; Boomer's have small, custom-built Tasers embedded in the palms and knuckles; and Brick's have small, custom-built flame-throwers sewn into the knuckles, which are hooked up to tiny containers strapped around his wrists that ignite the flames with the press of a button.

Boomer walks out first, finishing up strapping on his gloves as he comes out. In addition to his suit, he's wearing blue-lensed, semi-transparent and frameless biker goggles. He immediately goes over to Bubbles, who's standing in front of the knives rack, and kisses her.

"You all done?" She asks him. He nods.

"More or less. Gotta strap on all the weapons now." He grins lopsidedly at her. She smiles.

"Okay, let me go change now." She rises on her tiptoes to peck him on the cheek before darting into the supply room to grab her own suit.

Butch steps out next, his hair freshly gelled and spiked into its normal style and a smirk on his face. He flexes his hands a few times and goes over to stand next to Blossom.

"You good Rapunzel?" He questions. She hums, nodding once. He squeezes her shoulder and turns to walk into the supply room. "Yo Sunshine, where's my Cane knife?"

"How should I know? It's _your_ knife, dumbass!"

"Blossom," Brick's voice prompts her to turn around, one eyebrow perked. He's dressed in his suit and shoes, clicking his flame distributors into place. His shoulder-length hair is pulled back in a small ponytail and his ever-present red baseball cap is backwards on his head, spiky bangs sticking through the gap. "You alright?"

The corners of her lips quirk up into a small smile. "Yeah."

"Blossom, come get your suit!" Bubbles calls. "I got your shoes too!" Blossom glances at Brick one more time before going into the supply room and relieving her youngest sister of her suit and shoes.

"Alright girls, let's get this done quickly. We need to leave soon." Blossom tells them. Her sisters nod and the three of them walk into the locker room.

x

They dress quickly, each taking turns zipping each other up and securing the straps for their own suits. Made of the same black material and design of the boy's suits, the only differences are the accent colors. Blossom's is a bright pink, Buttercup's is lime green, and Bubbles' is aqua blue. They all wear fingerless leather gloves in their significant colors as well.

Buttercup's shoes are black combat boots much like Butch's, with steel toes, chunky heels, and metal studs all over the back of each shoe. Blossom's are a pair of black, thick high-heeled combat boots with pink laces. Bubbles' are a pair of black combat boots with wedge heels.

"Do you want me to redo your hair, Blossom?" Bubbles offers when she's done. Blossom nods and sits down on the bench, pulling on her gloves as Bubbles sits on her knees behind her. She undoes Blossom's braids and combs through her long hair with her fingers. Buttercup finishes tying up her laces and starts folding their normal clothes and packing them into a locker. Bubbles does Blossom's hair like before, in two separate French braids. She finishes quickly and ties the ends.

"All done," she says cheerily.

"Thank you." Blossom responds, nodding to her. The three sisters face each other.

After a moment of silence, Buttercup rolls her eyes and holds out her arms. "Ah, bring it in already."

Bubbles laughs and Blossom smiles, and the three come together in a group hug. They separate after a minute and leave the locker room. The boys are just finishing up putting on all of their weapons when they walk out.

Each boy has different knives and daggers strapped to their person, along with multiple types of guns, and of course, lots of ammunition. The girls equip themselves similarly, with Boomer helping Bubbles put on all of her weapons. Butch hands Buttercup each of her weapons as she slips them into their proper places.

"I looked over the camera feed from today and yesterday," Brick informs Blossom, handing her one of her semi-automatic pistols. She clicks the magazine into place and puts on the safety, sliding it into its holster on her thigh.

"Did you find anything?" She asks, looking up at him. He frowns, shaking his head.

"No. Nothing out of the ordinary on any of the feed. Whatever is doing all this shit is probably outside of the city."

"Language," she reprimands as she clips ammunition to her belt. Brick rolls his eyes, but hands Blossom her earpiece.

Blossom finishes getting ready by slipping a knife in each of her boots. She shakes out her arms and curls her fingers slowly, taking a deep breath. Her back straightens and she slips into leader mode.

"Alright," she says loudly, catching the others' attention. Buttercup straps on her last knife as Blossom continues. "Is everyone ready? Earpieces in?"

Nods all around from her teammates. Brick hands Butch and Boomer two walkie-talkies, which the two add to their arsenals.

"Stay together, stay silent, and unless you're helping a civilian, _stay unseen_." Brick instructs. "We don't know who or what exactly we're dealing with. For now, we stick to the shadows and avoid confrontation as much as possible. Our objective is to scope out the city, assess the damage, and find any possible information on the perpetrator. Is that understood?"

"Understood," Buttercup, Bubbles, Boomer, and Butch say simultaneously.

"You guys go and get in the van," Blossom tells them. "I'm going to shut down the computers and lock up the lab."

Brick nods and the five exit the training room, Butch and Buttercup bickering as they go. Blossom watches them until they all leave, then going into the tech room and checking the cameras again.

Still nothing.

With a frustrated sigh, she shuts down the computers and the backup generators and gets up to leave. On a whim, she grabs a USB drive from the equipment table, sticking it in one of the hidden compartments in her belt. The redhead finally exits the tech room, closing the door behind her, and jogs to the door of the training room, locking it behind her as she goes.

Passing through the lab, she sighs again, this time in disappointment and regret. All of her father's work, shattered and broken in the unsalvageable mess caused by the earthquake.

Her boots crunch the glass fragments underneath them and she steels her resolve.

 _No time for distractions,_ Blossom tells herself. _We need to figure out what's going on, and who's behind it._

x

"Ready to go, red?" Brick smirks as she climbs in the passenger seat. Blossom sends him a half-smile.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she replies. Twisting around in her seat, her eyes check over everyone, making sure they're all fully equipped and prepared.

"Mother hen much?" Brick mutters under his breath, smirk still present on his face. Blossom turns back around and smacks his shoulder.

"I heard that, jerk." She narrows her eyes at him but there's no bite behind her words. Brick's only response is to turn the ignition and start the car, pressing the button to open the garage and pulling out into the driveway. Blossom reaches over to close the garage as Brick checks their surroundings before driving away from the house and heading in towards the city.

"Time to figure out just what the hell is going on."

x

.

.

 **OH LOOK ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER.**

 **ahaha, i keep saying 'next chapter shit happens' and i keep ENDING ON ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER IM SORRY**

 **THIS time, im fairly sure next chapter is when stuff reeeally starts to go down. i think.**

 **at this point im just rolling with it.**

 **THESE CHILDREN ARE IN FOR SUCH A WILD RIDE OMFG**

 **ahhh i love this au**

 **peace out girl scouts,**

 **two red converse**


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